From Eva Karene Barlett's fb page:

Peter Ford (former British ambassador to Syria) again exposes BBC lies, and lies in general, about alleged CW attacks.

Note at around 3:00 into the interview, the BBC deflection of Ford's logical points about why there was no CW attack on Douma.

BBC: "Let's first of all start with this chemical attack do you think President Assad is behind it is responsible for this?"

Ford: "No, I don't because the evidence is extremely thin, thin-to-vanishing. All the sources of information about this attack come from the side of the militant Islamist armed groups. Without exception. All the information. There is not one single source of independent information on what actually happened in Douma, and there is every reason to believe that the Islamists have mounted a fake attack in order to stampede the West."

BBC: "When you say 'fake attack', what do you mean?"

Ford: "There was no chemical attack. The images are probably faked. The important thing is to get the international inspectors into Douma--and they are in Damascus now they're on their way--the important things is to get the inspectors in to verify what I've just said."

BBC: "The World Health Organization doesn't believe theseimages were faked."

Ford: "The WHO has repeated claims, claims made by the same sources that produced the videos--that is by the Islamic militants, not by any independent observers. This is a crucialdetail there's absolutely no impartial evidence.

The BBC itself--and I remind you--saying that the images in the video are unverified. Is that not correct?"

...Ford: "If you actually look at the report by the UN inspectors from the attack one year ago, you will see troubling facts, such as that some of the alleged victims were presenting to the hospital one hour before the Syrian plane had even left the ground."

BBC: "Okay, let's move on from whether this is fact or not. Let's say evidence has been found to prove that President Assad was behind this attack..."

...Ford: "We all know the president says things, and his generals--who know what they're talking about--say something else. General Mattis, who does know probably what he's talking about, says the the assessment is continuing that can only mean that the evidence with not yet in."

Ford: "...The idea that we could be going into such a dangerous conflict on the basis of contested images and reports from jihadi sources such as the White Helmets--the so-called first responders--who are Islamist militants who helped in beheadings and amputation with hands and feet, and it's on the testimony of such first responders and so-called monitors that this country might be on the point of making another grave mistake.

And let me remind you, please, about Iraq when we were so confident--were we not--all the intelligence...You remember Colin Powell? Please, let's not have another case of being taken to war on a false perspectives."

I notice he said "probably" fake. Not fake. Not "confirmed" fake. "Probably." Seems he doesn't even know with certainty whether the images were faked. Also, @polaris_x you said that the inspectors weren't allowed in and yet your source is claiming that they're there, in Damascus waiting to go to Douma. Why is Assad holding them back?

I, for one, with a whole lot of other Americans, didn't believe the WMD line of reasoning from the war criminals Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld for one minute. What is happening in Syria is happening for one reason and one reason only, Israel, who by the way was found to be buying ISIS oil and has a very strategic interest in the Golan Heights. If the US wants to mess with Iran, we don't need Syria to do it. For the record, US Middle East policy has been misguided for a very long time and continues to be so. Sect politics is very nasty and Assad is gullty of playing them. He has no choice.

He says probably fake because that is the objective and rational thing to say. He's not actually there. He says probably because of the history of the other chemical attacks that were proven to not have happened - if he said 100% it didn't happen, he would be lying because he doesn't really know for sure. It's like me saying Bill Cosby probably drugged and raped those women but I don't know for sure because I wasn't in the room.

I said the Russians vetoed the US resolution associated with the inspectors because of a rider they put in there associated with deadly force. The same rider they used to fuck up Libya. They weren't going to allow that to happen again. Assad most definitely wants independent observers and experts to come. If you look online - there are many people who have dissected the videos and shown massive inconsistencies ... bodies moved, holes that appear in one shot and then not another. The quality of these videos is surprisingly really weak.

Yeah the argument that ASSAD or PUTIN are good guys i ain't buying or Orange Bafoon too all three of these dispicable human beings should be on a rocket to mars with no return fuel ....

I'd take Assad over Putin any day. The issue here isn't that they are the salt of the earth. The issue here in Syria is that it is a sovereign country that has a rich history. They are currently being occupied by extremists forces (ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al-Nusra Front). All these groups have been armed through proxies in Turkey and other countries in an effort to destabilize the country. The issue here is that people need the objective facts - not be informed strictly through propaganda sources.

I've provided some alternative viewpoints from people who are on the ground in Syria. Some of these independent journalists have also covered the story in Gaza. Why has no one bothered to try and gain a different perspective?

Misinformation and propaganda campaigns are tried and trued forms of public manipulation.

The other thing I find tragic is that the US which operates Guantanamo Bay, has rendition and torture programs and who just appointed John Fucking War Monger Bolton as National Security Adviser is more credible to some people here than Independent journalists and whistleblowers and priests.

To suggest that all these gas attacks are faked and that all these governments and independent media organizations are in on it would mean a conspiracy so vast that it involves thousands of people. Including many journalists who I have come to respect over dozens of years of reporting. For what exactly? I'm just not buying it.

To suggest that all these gas attacks are faked and that all these governments and independent media organizations are in on it would mean a conspiracy so vast that it involves thousands of people. Including many journalists who I have come to respect over dozens of years of reporting. For what exactly? I'm just not buying it.

There are no international media on the ground in syria - that is the basis of the original video in the original post. The international media are getting there information from inside Lebanon or Turkey. The only independent journalists that are there all report the same thing. All their sources are the same - this latest round of gas attack (following the same script of terrorist group just about to lose scenario - happened twice already) is based on videos supplied by the White Helmets. This organization is the biggest fraud out there as they are the propaganada PR arm of the terrorists. There are a plethora of videos showing these guys are not rescuers. Just google white helmets mannequin challenge.

Is Seymour Hersh a respectied journalist of yours? Read what he has to say on Syria.

How do we know that the Syrian ambassador to the UN is not just another version of Baghdad Bob? And fuck John Bolton. I don’t give his world view an ounce of credence. And how do we know that the videos you referenced are also not propaganda? Were you in Syria? Then how do you know? You made that claim about Bill Cosby. As for the targeting of civilians? It happens all the time because armed forces, particularly rebel armed forces don’t mass 60+ in a basement. The strategy is to go after the women, children and elderly of the rebel fighters. Weren’t they, the rebels, given safe passage out of the besieged section of Douma to points north? Your arguments tend to fall apart upon cursory examination. Believe it or not, there are reputable, well respected journalists and media reporting on facts. It’s not all some conspiracy to grab Syria for an invasion of Iran. Team Trump Treason, John Bolton and the neocon Middle East policy all suck but that doesn’t mean we Americans support what’s going on in Syria or are duped by the media.

How do we know that the Syrian ambassador to the UN is not just another version of Baghdad Bob? And fuck John Bolton. I don’t give his world view an ounce of credence. And how do we know that the videos you referenced are also not propaganda? Were you in Syria? Then how do you know? You made that claim about Bill Cosby. As for the targeting of civilians? It happens all the time because armed forces, particularly rebel armed forces don’t mass 60+ in a basement. The strategy is to go after the women, children and elderly of the rebel fighters. Weren’t they, the rebels, given safe passage out of the besieged section of Douma to points north? Your arguments tend to fall apart upon cursory examination. Believe it or not, there are reputable, well respected journalists and media reporting on facts. It’s not all some conspiracy to grab Syria for an invasion of Iran. Team Trump Treason, John Bolton and the neocon Middle East policy all suck but that doesn’t mean we Americans support what’s going on in Syria or are duped by the media.

Oh dear ... ok - who are your well respected journalists that have been to Syria and reporting?

Of course I haven't been to Syria - what sort of argument is that!? I'm guessing you haven't either. I've been researching this for a year or so now. I treat this issue like I do everything as rational and objectively and as critically as possible. I have my biases but they generally don't lean towards people who are accused of atrocities.

So ... the videos I post could be propaganda!! Absolutely! All I ask is that you listen to them as you would videos from any other source and think critically.

At the crux of this for me is that I am a humanitarian who is anti-war and hopes for peace. In seeing what is going on in Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan now - it breaks my heart. All these places have one common theme and I don't want to see that happen again in Syria.

Show me videos of a horrendous life in Syria pre-war ... show me women being oppressed ... show me a military dictatorship ... this is simply not factually how Syria was before the war. If you don't believe me - go find out yourself from people who live there.

I know it sucks being a patriotic American to hear this stuff. But this shit doesn't change unless people open their eyes to what's being done in the interests of American freedoms. When i think chemical weapons - I think napalm. And we all know who has used napalm over the years.

Also if it makes anyone feel better. The Canadian gov't is also complicit in this affair. I've written to my MP and the Prime Minister without a response. The issue tho is we don't make as much money in war as the US.

I would argue someone is ingesting misinformation and propaganda, but it's not me

How can you just ignore 7 years of documented war crimes and atrocities by Assad and the Syrian government? Then say protests didn't happen there during the Arab spring, kicking this whole thing off?

Again, show me your documented evidence. See the original video - the journalist asks the same question. There is no documented evidence!

Also again, as it pertains to almost any issue - all I can ask is that people approach it with an open mind and to think critically about the information they are getting.

C'mon - every time the "rebel" held areas are about to be liberated and/or the US announces a withdraw from Syria - there is a chemical attack!!??? Again, all the previous chemical attacks have been debunked.

How do we know that the Syrian ambassador to the UN is not just another version of Baghdad Bob? And fuck John Bolton. I don’t give his world view an ounce of credence. And how do we know that the videos you referenced are also not propaganda? Were you in Syria? Then how do you know? You made that claim about Bill Cosby. As for the targeting of civilians? It happens all the time because armed forces, particularly rebel armed forces don’t mass 60+ in a basement. The strategy is to go after the women, children and elderly of the rebel fighters. Weren’t they, the rebels, given safe passage out of the besieged section of Douma to points north? Your arguments tend to fall apart upon cursory examination. Believe it or not, there are reputable, well respected journalists and media reporting on facts. It’s not all some conspiracy to grab Syria for an invasion of Iran. Team Trump Treason, John Bolton and the neocon Middle East policy all suck but that doesn’t mean we Americans support what’s going on in Syria or are duped by the media.

Oh dear ... ok - who are your well respected journalists that have been to Syria and reporting?

Of course I haven't been to Syria - what sort of argument is that!? I'm guessing you haven't either. I've been researching this for a year or so now. I treat this issue like I do everything as rational and objectively and as critically as possible. I have my biases but they generally don't lean towards people who are accused of atrocities.

So ... the videos I post could be propaganda!! Absolutely! All I ask is that you listen to them as you would videos from any other source and think critically.

At the crux of this for me is that I am a humanitarian who is anti-war and hopes for peace. In seeing what is going on in Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan now - it breaks my heart. All these places have one common theme and I don't want to see that happen again in Syria.

Show me videos of a horrendous life in Syria pre-war ... show me women being oppressed ... show me a military dictatorship ... this is simply not factually how Syria was before the war. If you don't believe me - go find out yourself from people who live there.

I know it sucks being a patriotic American to hear this stuff. But this shit doesn't change unless people open their eyes to what's being done in the interests of American freedoms. When i think chemical weapons - I think napalm. And we all know who has used napalm over the years.

What does it matter what life in Syria was like before the war? That's irrelevant...

Do you even remember the Arab spring?

People all across the region protested... leaders across the region fell, left and right... this spread to Syria... protests grew... Assad knew his fate was going to be similar to the other fallen leaders of the region... so he decided to fight and CRACKED DOWN, BRUTALLY, WITH MILITARY FORCE... MASS ARRRESTS... TORTURE... ALL DOCUMENTED... FOR 7 YEARS... people deserted the military and went to the other side... this is what Civil War looks like... Iran & Russia supported the Assad regime... western forces have supported the other side, which is why its lasted this long... otherwise they would have been totally crushed... and you're worried about Anerican use of napalm 50 years ago... seriously dude, take the anti-American blinders off for 30 seconds... its skewing your view of this situation

How can you just ignore 7 years of well documented war crimes like they never happened? The UN... The ICC... Human Rights Watch... etc... etc... etc

Im not a blinded patriotic american... I'm very objective and aware of my countries history... also, pretty sure Canada was right by our side, with your tax dollars, pretty much every single time, so you dont have the moral high ground

Also - something people should consider. Beyond the fact that military strikes against Syria will likely escalate into something much larger. Consider Libya and Iraq now. 2 countries where regime change was allowed to happen. Look at what is happening there now. It is mass human suffering. Why would anyone want that for Syria?

Feel free to shit on me and call me names and say I'm wearing a tin foil hat. It's ok. I know in my heart that my position here is with the people of Syria ... not Russia ... not Bashir-Al Assad ... only the innocent people of Syria. Of whom, I want to see an end to their suffering and potentially the upheaval of their country into truly oppressive rule.

Feel free to shit on me and call me names and say I'm wearing a tin foil hat. It's ok. I know in my heart that my position here is with the people of Syria ... not Russia ... not Bashir-Al Assad ... only the innocent people of Syria. Of whom, I want to see an end to their suffering and potentially the upheaval of their country into truly oppressive rule.

So the last 7 years haven't been oppressive? Ok dude, you stand with a war criminal. Enjoy the game

How are so many people sucking up pure garbage as fact? Scary shit... people using social media and random tweets as their source of information... this is only going to get worse

Same people who believe that....

9/11 was a govt plotThat the Jews run the world' financial institutions That Newtown was an Obama govt plotThat the Jews control the weatherThat Obama is coming to take your gunsThat hillary runs a child sex ring out of the basement of a DC pizza parlor.That President Obama is a Kenyan socialist muslimAnd on and on and on

How do we know that the Syrian ambassador to the UN is not just another version of Baghdad Bob? And fuck John Bolton. I don’t give his world view an ounce of credence. And how do we know that the videos you referenced are also not propaganda? Were you in Syria? Then how do you know? You made that claim about Bill Cosby. As for the targeting of civilians? It happens all the time because armed forces, particularly rebel armed forces don’t mass 60+ in a basement. The strategy is to go after the women, children and elderly of the rebel fighters. Weren’t they, the rebels, given safe passage out of the besieged section of Douma to points north? Your arguments tend to fall apart upon cursory examination. Believe it or not, there are reputable, well respected journalists and media reporting on facts. It’s not all some conspiracy to grab Syria for an invasion of Iran. Team Trump Treason, John Bolton and the neocon Middle East policy all suck but that doesn’t mean we Americans support what’s going on in Syria or are duped by the media.

Oh dear ... ok - who are your well respected journalists that have been to Syria and reporting?

Of course I haven't been to Syria - what sort of argument is that!? I'm guessing you haven't either. I've been researching this for a year or so now. I treat this issue like I do everything as rational and objectively and as critically as possible. I have my biases but they generally don't lean towards people who are accused of atrocities.

So ... the videos I post could be propaganda!! Absolutely! All I ask is that you listen to them as you would videos from any other source and think critically.

At the crux of this for me is that I am a humanitarian who is anti-war and hopes for peace. In seeing what is going on in Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan now - it breaks my heart. All these places have one common theme and I don't want to see that happen again in Syria.

Show me videos of a horrendous life in Syria pre-war ... show me women being oppressed ... show me a military dictatorship ... this is simply not factually how Syria was before the war. If you don't believe me - go find out yourself from people who live there.

I know it sucks being a patriotic American to hear this stuff. But this shit doesn't change unless people open their eyes to what's being done in the interests of American freedoms. When i think chemical weapons - I think napalm. And we all know who has used napalm over the years.

Do you personally know and have spoken with someone who’s traveled to Syria before the Arab spring? How about Yemen? Egypt? Jordan?

Show me free and fair elections and a Syrian population able to speak freely, demonstrate for redress of grievances and openly criticize their government without fear and societal repression. Pre-Arab spring.

My American patriotism doesn’t make me blind to the war mongering neocons, their ilk and the large scale suffering they perpetuate around the world. But that doesn’t make Assad a swell guy. Or Putin.

How do we know that the Syrian ambassador to the UN is not just another version of Baghdad Bob? And fuck John Bolton. I don’t give his world view an ounce of credence. And how do we know that the videos you referenced are also not propaganda? Were you in Syria? Then how do you know? You made that claim about Bill Cosby. As for the targeting of civilians? It happens all the time because armed forces, particularly rebel armed forces don’t mass 60+ in a basement. The strategy is to go after the women, children and elderly of the rebel fighters. Weren’t they, the rebels, given safe passage out of the besieged section of Douma to points north? Your arguments tend to fall apart upon cursory examination. Believe it or not, there are reputable, well respected journalists and media reporting on facts. It’s not all some conspiracy to grab Syria for an invasion of Iran. Team Trump Treason, John Bolton and the neocon Middle East policy all suck but that doesn’t mean we Americans support what’s going on in Syria or are duped by the media.

Oh dear ... ok - who are your well respected journalists that have been to Syria and reporting?

Of course I haven't been to Syria - what sort of argument is that!? I'm guessing you haven't either. I've been researching this for a year or so now. I treat this issue like I do everything as rational and objectively and as critically as possible. I have my biases but they generally don't lean towards people who are accused of atrocities.

So ... the videos I post could be propaganda!! Absolutely! All I ask is that you listen to them as you would videos from any other source and think critically.

At the crux of this for me is that I am a humanitarian who is anti-war and hopes for peace. In seeing what is going on in Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan now - it breaks my heart. All these places have one common theme and I don't want to see that happen again in Syria.

Show me videos of a horrendous life in Syria pre-war ... show me women being oppressed ... show me a military dictatorship ... this is simply not factually how Syria was before the war. If you don't believe me - go find out yourself from people who live there.

I know it sucks being a patriotic American to hear this stuff. But this shit doesn't change unless people open their eyes to what's being done in the interests of American freedoms. When i think chemical weapons - I think napalm. And we all know who has used napalm over the years.

What does it matter what life in Syria was like before the war? That's irrelevant...

Do you even remember the Arab spring?

People all across the region protested... leaders across the region fell, left and right... this spread to Syria... protests grew... Assad knew his fate was going to be similar to the other fallen leaders of the region... so he decided to fight and CRACKED DOWN, BRUTALLY, WITH MILITARY FORCE... MASS ARRRESTS... TORTURE... ALL DOCUMENTED... FOR 7 YEARS... people deserted the military and went to the other side... this is what Civil War looks like... Iran & Russia supported the Assad regime... western forces have supported the other side, which is why its lasted this long... otherwise they would have been totally crushed... and you're worried about Anerican use of napalm 50 years ago... seriously dude, take the anti-American blinders off for 30 seconds... its skewing your view of this situation

How can you just ignore 7 years of well documented war crimes like they never happened? The UN... The ICC... Human Rights Watch... etc... etc... etc

Im not a blinded patriotic american... I'm very objective and aware of my countries history... also, pretty sure Canada was right by our side, with your tax dollars, pretty much every single time, so you dont have the moral high ground

Twitter and YouTube are not good places to get your info my friend...

again - show me proof of this mass anti-Assad protest ... I'm also guessing you have not bothered to read or watch anything I posted ...

Human Rights Watch is a fraud organization - like I said, Ken Roth was caught twice posting pictures from Gaza and he had to pull them down. He also keeps posting pictures of supposed barrel bomb attacks by Assad that were also proven to be false.

it's funny you say twitter and youtube are not good places to get information but that is exactly what the US representative is using as PROOF ... social media sources is what he said! ... it's also funny that you mention Canada when I specifically wrote earlier in this thread that I consider Canada complicit in this! ... just so, people don't go to the same old tired tricks when discussing these things ...

Someone ... anyone ... show me the proof of these so called atrocities by Assad ... the mainstream media are corporate agglomerations ... we all see what the Sinclair group did ... it happens everywhere ...

how much research have you done on Syria? I've spent a lot of hours reading materials from all sides ... if you want to pin this as an anti-american bias - there's nothing I can do ... but it does continue to show that you aren't interested in seeing the other side ...

Feel free to shit on me and call me names and say I'm wearing a tin foil hat. It's ok. I know in my heart that my position here is with the people of Syria ... not Russia ... not Bashir-Al Assad ... only the innocent people of Syria. Of whom, I want to see an end to their suffering and potentially the upheaval of their country into truly oppressive rule.

So the last 7 years haven't been oppressive? Ok dude, you stand with a war criminal. Enjoy the game

ok ... just once ... try and think critically about this ... IF Assad did the things you said he did ... why is 80% of the population living under gov't control? ... why wouldn't the people of syria rise up against this so called tyrant? ... why are they having to be liberated from "rebel" areas and seen celebrating? ...

remember - every piece of evidence used to overthrow Iraq and Libya were proven to be lies ... you say I support a war criminal when you live in a country that beats the drums of war all over the world ...

Go look at Libya now ... this is what Syria would be under another regime change ...

Honest question Polaris... do you look at infowars and Alex Jones? Be honest, im genuinely interested... this reeks of infowars horseshit

No ... I've never been on that site ... I beg you to not go down this road of calling everything a conspiracy theory ... if you go down this road - it shows me that you lack either the knowledge or the care to discuss this issue rationally and objectively and I will move on from you ...

No ... not legit ... anyone who's source material is the White Helmets is not legit because it means they weren't actually there filming themselves ... if you see a White Helmets logo in the video - it means it's not proprietary to that organization ...

Again to everyone - just do some research online on the White Helmets ... these guys are terrorists ... there are videos everywhere showing these guys shooting syrian soldiers and standing on their bodies ... the people who were recently liberated in Douma have been interviewed and they said the White Helmets kidnapped their children and drugged them and then ultimately killed them to shoot these videos ... the White Helmets were founded by ex British military and are funded by the US and UK govt's ...